Combination hanger and clamp for supporting electrical conductors



March 1951 A. H. GENTER COMBINATION HANGER AND CLAMP FOR N SUPPORTINGELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Filed Jan. 12, 1949 [I ZB May/0 3) QZB Q- l I /9JNVENTOR. A 4 552/ 6 flax/r52 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFlQE Albert H. Genter, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

Application January 12, 1949, Serial No. 70,408

2 Claims.

My invention consists in a new and improved hanger clamp for the supportof trolley wires and feeder wires from a flanged overhead support, suchas an I-beam and for insulating the wires from the latter.

While my improved hanger clamp is especially intended for use insuspending trolley and feeder wires from the roof of a mine, it is alsoadvantageously adapted to support the wires from any overhead structure.

Amon the objects which I have in view are the following:

The provision of a novel and efficient hanger clamp which is more rigidand less liable to impairment in service than the types of hanger clampsnow in common use, such for instance as the well-known bell andexpansion bolt hanger clamp.

The provision of a hanger clamp which is more simple in construction andless expensive to manufacture than the present known hanger clamps.

The provision of an overhead hanger clamp which supports the wire at ashorter distance from the mine roof so that it may be successfully usedin mines having low roofs on account of the relative thinness of thevein of coal being mined.

The provision of a hanger clamp which requires no boring or drilling ofholes in the mine roof or the supports of the latter to receive theconventional expansion bolts.

The provision of a hanger clamp that is adjustable without substitutionof parts for mounting on diiierent dimensions of overhead supports, suchas I-beams.

Other advantages will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment ofthe principles of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showin the improved hanger clamp supporting atrolley wire and secured to an overhead beam which is shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same taken along the irregularline 2-2 in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a like section taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, It indicates a block of dielectric materialof high tensile strength, such as a hydraulically and thermallycompressed material like the synthetic resin known by the trade-markBakelite. The block H! has flat parallel sides and upper and lowerlongitudinal edges. Spaced below its vertical center the block it isprovided with a transverse bolt hole I 1. l2 indicates a pair ofcoacting jaw plates having horizontal pivotal ribs l3 adjacent theirupper extremities which bear against the opposite sides of the block ii. A bolt i l extends through the hole II in the block it and throughregistering holes iii in the opposed jaws 12. The upper portions of thejaws are vertical and clear the sides of the block ll) below the ribsIS.

The jaws l2 depend below the block W and their lower portions convergetoward each other, as shown in Fig. 2, and at their extremities they areprovided with coacting grooves It in which the wire I? is engaged, thetightening of the nut on the bolt Id causing the jaws to swing towardeach other, pivoting on the ribs E3 to firmly grip and hold the wire.

Adjacent the top edge of the block Ill the letter is provided withhorizontally spaced apart transverse holes l8. l9 indicates a pair offiat parallel horizontal metal bars, which may be cut from steel ofnarrow gauge, which bars fit against the opposite sides of the block andare provided with holes 20 registering with the holes l8 in the block.2| indicates rivets snugly fitting the holes [8 and 29, thus firmly andpermanently securing the bars 19 to the block Ill.

The block ii) is of sufficient vertical dimension that these is asubstantial space between the upper ends of the jaw plates 12 and thelower edges of the horizontal bars It to completely and permanentlyinsulate the bars from the jaw plates. The top edges of the bars it aredisposed in the same horizontal plane as is the top edge of the blockHi, so that when the assembled block and bars are placed beneath theoverhead beam 22, which is provided with the bottom flange 23, the blockand bars will fit snugly against the flat bottom surface of the flangedbeam.

The lower edges of the spaced pair of bars I!) are provided with alignedpairs of arcuate notches 24 which are engaged by the cylindrical head 25of the T-bolts 26, the threaded ends of which extend upwardly betweenthe spaced bars [9 and through the bolt holes 2! in the clamp plates 23,the outer ends of which are provided with depending fianges 29 whichbear on the top edges of the bars [5 while the inner ends overlap theflanges 23 of the beam 22 and are firmly clamped down thereon as the nut38 is screwed down on the threaded end of the bolts 26.

To enable the hanger clamp to be readily attached to beams havingdifferent overall width of flanges, the bars i9 may be provided withadditional notches in their lower edges as indi- 3 cated at 24a in Fig.1 so that the T-bolts and clamp plates may be properly positioned toengage the flanges of th beam to which the hanger clamp is to beattached.

Thus difierent sizes of hanger clamps are not required as a clamp of theselected standard size may be readily and quickly secured to beams ofmany different widths.

My impr ved hanger clamp may thus be secured to any type of overheadbeam provided with bottom flanges, whether of I-beam, T-beam, railwayrail shape or other shape.

My improved hanger clamp may be much more quickly applied to an overheadsupport than is possible with other forms of hanger clamps now in use,and as quickly removed.

My improved hanger clamp has no loose or separate parts which mightbecome misplaced, but it is an assembled unit which is easy to handle.

I claim:

1. In a hanger clamp for suspending an electric conductor from anoverhead support which is provided adjacent its lower surface withopposed lateral flanges, the combination of a block formed of dielectricmaterial having parallel sides, a pair of elongated parallel metal barsin spaced relation to each other fixedly secured to the op-- positesides of said blocl: and extending beyond the opposite ends of theblock, said bars being arranged to fit up against th bottom of theflanges of the overhead support, T-b01ts having portions arranged toengage aligned pairs of notches in the bottom edges of said bars andhaving their stems extending up between said bars, clamp plates havingholes through which the stems of said T-bolts tend upwardly said clampplates arranged to overlap the edges of the flanges of the overheadsupport and nuts arranged to be screwed down against the said plates toforce said plates into engagement with said flanges, and means securedto and depending from the lower portion of the dielectric block forengaging the electric conductor, said means being spaced sufiicientlyfrom the metal bars to insulate the electric conductor from said bars,there being provided plurality of spaced apart pairs of said notches tobe selectively engaged by said bolts and thus enable the hanger clamp tobe secured to overhead supports of difierent overall width.

.2. In a hanger clamp for suspending an electric conductor from anoverhead support which is provided adjacent its lower surface withopposed lateral flanges, the combination of a block formed of dielectricmaterial having parallel sides, a pair of relatively elongated parallelmetal bars in spaced relation to each other fixedly secured to theopposite sides of the block and extending beyond the opposite ends ofthe latter, said bars being arranged to fit up against the under surfaceof the overhead support, T-bolts arranged to engage the bars frombeneath and to extend upward between the bars, clamp plates having holesthrough which said bolts extend, said clamp plates being arranged tooverlap the edges of the flanges of the overhead support when the hangerclamp is in place, nuts arranged to be screwed down on the bSlts againstthe clamp plates to force the clamp plates into engagement with theflanges, means secured to and depending from the lower portion or" thedielectric block for engaging the electric conductor, said means beinglaced suihciently from the metal bars to insulate said means from themetal bars, and depending flanges on the outer er. .s of the clampplates 2. ch engage the to edges of the bars to space the horizontalportions of said clamp plates from the bars and cause the freeextremities of the clamp plates to be forced downwardly into engagementwith the upper surfaces of the flanges of the overhead support as thenuts are tightened on the bolts.

ALBERT H. GENTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

